Acambis acquires North American sales organisation

    Acambis acquires North American sales, promotion and distribution organisation

Cambridge, UK and Cambridge, Massachusetts - 28 August 2003 - Acambis plc
("Acambis") (LSE: ACM, NASDAQ: ACAM) announces that it has established a sales,
promotion and distribution organisation in North America through the
acquisition of a leading travel vaccine business, Berna Products Corporation
("BPC"). Ahead of the submission of a Biologics License Application to the US
Food and Drug Administration for Acambis' yellow fever vaccine, ArilvaxTM,
expected during 2003, the acquisition of BPC will establish a critical sales,
promotion and distribution infrastructure in North America for the expected
launch of this vaccine next year.

BPC has an established network of customers including travel vaccine clinics,
medical practitioners with travel medicine practices, universities, federal,
state and county governments, international companies and the US army. BPC has
exclusive North American sales and distribution rights to Vivotif, an oral
typhoid vaccine manufactured by Berna Biotech AG ("Berna Biotech"). Licensed in
over 50 countries around the world and the only orally administered typhoid
vaccine available, Vivotif has been registered and sold in the US since 1990
and Canada since 1994. BPC employs 13 people, with operations in Miami and
Toronto, from where it promotes and distributes Vivotif to customers throughout
North America.

BPC was established in 1990 by Berna Biotech and Andres Murai, currently
President and Chief Executive Officer of BPC. In 2001, Mr Murai acquired Berna
Biotech's shareholding under a restructuring agreement, resulting in BPC being
wholly owned by members of the Murai family. Acambis, through its US subsidiary
Acambis Inc., has acquired 100% of BPC's share capital for US$8.4m in cash and
may pay up to an additional $3.75m in milestones between 2004 and 2006, subject
to the achievement of key sales targets for Vivotif and Arilvax. Mr Murai will
continue in his position as President and Chief Executive Officer of BPC.

In the year ended 31 December 2002, BPC achieved operating profit before tax
and extraordinary items of US$1.0m and had net assets of $1.1m at 31 December
2002. The acquisition is expected to be immediately earnings enhancing for
Acambis.

Dr John Brown, Chief Executive Officer of Acambis, commented:

"This is an excellent acquisition for Acambis, right in line with our strategy
of establishing a sales and distribution infrastructure in the key US market.
In addition to a profitable revenue stream from BPC's sales of Vivotif, we gain
immediate access to a well-established business that has a recognised name in
the travel vaccines field. We can leverage BPC's expertise and established
relationships, structures and procedures for the sale of Arilvax and, in
future, our other travel vaccines."

Andres Murai Jr, President and Chief Executive Officer of BPC, commented:

"Joining Acambis gives us the opportunity to expand and diversify our business
with additional products that we can bring to our existing customers. This is
an ideal match between an innovative vaccines company and a powerhouse marketer
in the travel vaccine field. We are very much looking forward to joining the
Acambis team."

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Enquiries:

Acambis plc                                                                    
                                                                               
John Brown, Chief Executive Officer      Tel: [phone]             
                                                                               
Lyndsay Wright, Director of                                                    
Communications                                                                 
                                                                               
Gordon Cameron, Chief Financial Officer  Tel: [phone]                
                                                                               
Financial Dynamics                                                             
                                                                               
David Yates/Jonathan Birt                Tel: [phone]             
                                                                               

Notes to editors:

Acambis is a leading developer of vaccines to prevent and treat infectious
diseases. Recognised internationally as the leading producer of smallpox
vaccines, Acambis provides governments around the world with the full portfolio
of related smallpox vaccine products required to protect their citizens against
the threat of smallpox virus being used as a bioterrorist weapon. Acambis is
establishing a travel vaccines franchise, including vaccines against yellow
fever, Japanese encephalitis, dengue fever and typhoid. Acambis also has the
most advanced vaccine in development targeting the West Nile virus, which has
spread to over 40 US States in the last three years.

Acambis is based in Cambridge, UK and Cambridge, Massachusetts, US. Its primary
listing is on the London Stock Exchange (ACM) and its shares are listed in the
form of American Depositary Receipts on Nasdaq (ACAM). More information is
available at www.acambis.com.

"Safe Harbor" statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995:

The statements in this news release that are not historical facts are
forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including the
timing and results of clinical trials, product development, manufacturing and
commercialisation risks, the risks of satisfying the regulatory approval
process in a timely manner, the need for and the availability of additional
capital. For a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties see "Risk
factors" in the Company's Annual Report and Form 20-F for the most recently
ended fiscal year, in addition to those detailed in the Company's filings made
with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. These
forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by the
management of Acambis and are believed to be reasonable, though are inherently
uncertain and difficult to predict. Actual results or experience could differ
materially from the forward-looking statements.



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